I considered naming this piece, “Everything is in the Eye of the Beholder.” I am often fascinated by the contortions we humans go through trying to understand other human conduct, and our seeming inability to understand why we as individuals are so frequently misunderstood.

Back in my legal days, when I interviewed and deposed hundreds, if not thousands, of witnesses under oath (who seemingly had no dog in the fight), I was struck by how honest people who witnessed the same event could testify so differently about what they saw.

To some extent, I think I may have gained a better understanding of this phenomenon when I saw a PBS program on eyesight and the brain. What I came away with was that instead of the eye and brain working together to take a snapshot or picture of an event, the brain functions more like a hard disk in a computer. Once the eyes (really the senses) transmit the image (or a message in the case of the other senses) to the brain or hard disk, the question is posed, “Where have I encountered this before?"

If it is something familiar, or that we encounter with some regularity, then we go with what we know, or as close to it as we have the time and energy to process it. For that which we don't recognize at all, we come up with an interpretation which we think ensures our continued survival.

Numerous news analysts who have ruminated about this year claim that it has been one dominated by conflict and tension at every imaginable level, and in virtually every geographic area.

Back in the early 1980s, when I used to hang out with a group of 5 fascinating and extraordinary women who called themselves the “Slut Sisters,” several of them maintained that all conflict was due to testosterone.

This year, we’ve had numerous events featured in the news, where the typical citizen was emotionally forced to take a position on one side, or the other, often without even a paltry appreciation of the facts. Reporters sought out friends of those individuals who died at the hands of police, or fugitives from justice who the authorities were pursuing. In almost every instance, the friends and neighbors related diametrically opposed perceptions of the people involved. “He is the most generous person you’d ever want to meet, and he wouldn’t harm a fly,” or “He was vile, scum who should be put to death.”

And this was during the first 2 hours of the coverage of the event, and before Nancy Grace had an opportunity to render a guilty verdict.

It causes one to wonder whether the side we choose is really not by choice, analysis, or even about our participation in the event, but rather about which group to which we can relate the most.

I previously shared my thoughts about race, which I believe is primarily driven by DNA and genetics. In my reality, it’s not a delayed conversation, or one which we keep trying to avoid, as much as it is one which we cannot have (and never will), because it is so deep within us that we cannot explain it.

One would think that this would suffice for making decent and fair judgment calls, assuming once again that one has the time, interest, and motivation to pursue the evidence. But two other events threw a monkey wrench in my quest to understand this year’s conflict.

So, what’s the take away from all of this? I must confess that I don’t know with any degree of certainty, but suggest that neither should you. However, we need to consider something different. Perhaps we could focus on the restructuring of those systems or modifying those environments where there are higher probabilities of conflict, and not focus as much on explaining conflict on an individual or even a group level. Maybe we should accept conflict on an individual or group level, as a given.

"There Are More Than 2 Or 3 Ways To View Any Issue; There Are At Least 27"™

"Experience Isn't Expensive; It's Priceless"™

"Common Sense should be a Way of Life"™

Opportunity to Serve as "Guest Author"

This forum was designed to be YOUR forum for the civil exchange of ideas by people with all points of views. We welcome the submission of articles by all of our readers, as long as they are in compliance with our Guidelines contained in Post No. 34. We look forward to receiving your submissions.

About Me

Although there are other Fellows (namely the Logistician, the Laughingman, and the Optimizer) affiliated with the Institute for Applied Common Sense, I write the majority of the articles posted here.
I am someone who was fortunate enough to obtain a decent education and to travel extensively. I had all of the good breaks and luck in the world, and still managed to muck up and disappoint others who invested their faith in me.
Although I am obviously not a role model for others, I wish to share my insight (and that of the other Fellows) and experience so that others might not travel down the wandering, non-goal orientated, complicated path which I traveled. I am an individual who discovered, far too late in life, my purpose in the universe, and something about which I could feel passionate.
I do not want to see our youth, particularly college students, have to wait so long. Finally, and perhaps most importantly, I am someone who accepts 110% responsibility for all that has occurred to me, and does not think of himself as a victim.

"Exploring the Relationship between Curiosity, Personal Responsibility, and Consequences" --

There's a positive side to mucking up. You have the opportunity to “fix it” and "do the right thing."

You can address it by taking personal responsibility for the events leading up to it.

Doing the right thing is not rocket science. Experience isn’t expensive, it’s priceless.

"Who is Encouraged to Participate in this Forum"

Solution-oriented individuals, particularly high school seniors and college students, who, unrestrained by political correctness, are willing to “dig deep” in an effort to understand and explore the underlying root causes of problems, rather than focus merely on the symptoms.

"It's Your Turn"

The “It’s Your Turn” ™ team will soon embark on a nationwide tour of colleges and universities to engage students in a discussion about personal responsibility. “It’s Your Turn” ™ will utilize adults who have encountered and recovered from various difficulties in life, as teaching vehicles, in conjunction with the latest research on the brain and decision theory.

The goals of “It’s Your Turn” ™ are the following: (a) to provoke thought; (b) to encourage students to consider their choices in life; (c) to assist students in analyzing the decisions that they make along with the consequences; and (d) to have them recognize the importance of taking personal responsibility for their choices. The ultimate goal of “It’s Your Turn” ™ is to assist students in coming up with fresh, new ways to address their personal and societal issues.

We believe that, “There are more than 2 or 3 ways to view any issue; there are at least 27.™”

One of the goals which the “It’s Your Turn” ™ Team will achieve, during our discussion of issues, will be the de-personalization of the analysis, by avoiding subjective and partisan approaches. The “It’s Your Turn” ™ Team believes that the analysis will improve through objectivity (as much as it can be achieved) and creativity, along with “digging deep” to expose the root causes of issues, instead of merely being distracted and sidelined by symptoms. We can thereafter craft better solutions.

The articles appearing on this site reflect the type of thought process and critical thinking through which the “It’s Your Turn” ™ Team will navigate students in our sessions.

“It’s Your Turn” ™ to have an influence on America

“It’s Your Turn” ™ to correct the mistakes of the past

“It’s Your Turn” ™ to start exercising a leadership role

“It’s Your Turn” ™ to take responsibility for your future

“It’s Your Turn” ™ to start making the hard decisions

Upcoming Events

“It’s Your Turn” ™ also has smaller, local projects, based on the same responsibility model, planned for late Summer.

During the Spring of 2015, we will conduct our first focus group, in the Piedmont Triad region of North Carolina, with parents and college students, to assist in our further development of presentation. Additional sessions will be conducted in the Summer of 2015, throughout the Southeast. We will seek YOUR thoughts about the areas which YOU would like to have covered in our sessions on responsibility. The location of the first session shall be announced later.

During the Fall of 2015, “It’s Your Turn” ™ will conduct sessions about responsibility with college freshmen, and their parents. Parents and freshmen are obviously full of trepidation as the young adults leave the fold of home, and become truly independent for the first time in their lives.

Additionally, during the Fall of 2015, “It’s Your Turn” ™ will conduct similar sessions on numerous college campuses throughout the Southeast, during their Orientation sessions, and during periods designed for the involvement of parents.